Printer

ABSTRACT

A printer includes: a print performing unit which can change a structure thereof and in which contents of an executable printing process change depending on the structure; an apparatus name information storing unit which stores a plurality of apparatus name information as identification information of the apparatus coordinated with the structure; and a request responding unit for transmitting the apparatus name information coordinated with the structure at that time when a prescribed request is received among the plurality of apparatus name information to an apparatus transmitting the request.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a printer.

As well-known, of devices performing a printing operation such asprinters, copying machines, complex machines, etc. (refer them to asprinters, hereinafter), there are devices capable of operating asdevices in which the contents (kind, number) of an executable printingprocess are different by changing their structures (add optionalcomponents/change components).

Specifically, in existing printers, there are some printers capable ofoperating as color printers capable of a color printing and amonochromatic printing and as monochromatic printers capable of only amonochromatic printing by changing ink cartridges, printer heads, tonercartridges, etc (for instance, see JP-A-2002-192810). Further, there aresome printers in which a staple process or a punch hole process may becarried out by adding a component called a finisher.

In the case that the printer as described above (designate it as astructure-changeable printer, hereinafter) is used in a networkenvironment, for example, when the structure-changeable printer whichhas no function of a printer server is connected to and used in anetwork through the printer server or the like, and when thestructure-changeable printer which has a function as the printer serveris connected to and used in the network, a user may erroneously selectthe printer which cannot perform a printing operation of intendedcontents.

Specifically, information displayed on the display of a computer as theidentification information of a network printer indicates a printer nameoutputted from each network printer (the structure-changeable printer).However, the structure-changeable printer serves as a printer in whichkinds of executable processes are different depending on the structureat that time. Therefore, in the network to which thestructure-changeable printer is connected, for example, thestructure-changeable printer, which a user takes and selects as a colorprinter, may actually operate as a monochromatic printer. As a result, asituation that an intended printed result cannot be obtained (a colorprinting instructed to be performed finishes in an error, an instructionto perform a color printing cannot be outputted and a printed resultdifferent from an intended result is obtained) may occur.

Further, a window displayed by a program (what is called a printerdriver) for operating the printer desirably includes no wasteful items(check boxes incapable of being selected, radio buttons, etc.) Theexisting structure-changeable printer is a printer in which such aprogram cannot be installed by a plug and play (a device interfacestandard which makes it possible to add an expansion card or the like toa system without requiring a manual setting of a user) This is becausethe existing structure-changeable printer serves as a printer foroutputting the same device ID (information used as the identificationinformation of the printer upon installing a program by a plug and play)without depending on the structure.

Beside, in order to reduce the design and production cost of theprinters, the maker ordinarily designs a board for each printer in sucha way that when a jumper line is attached to a board for one machine,the board functions as aboard for the other machine. Further, the makerforms extremely similar products as farm wares respectively for theprinters.

Specifically, in the existing printers, there are some printers whichcan operate as printers of other types of machines (more functionalprinters) (in other words, an apparatus whose functions can beinexpensively improved) when an operation for attaching jumper lines andan operation for changing farm wares are carried out. However, since theexisting printers are not designed so that an end user may perform anoperation for attaching the jumper lines, the end user side extremelyhardly improves the functions of the printers (changes the types ofmachines of the printers) by carrying out the above-describedoperations.

Beside, of a printer capable of only monochromatic printing (hereinafter referred as monochromatic printer), there are printers which, uponreception of print job data requesting (instructing) color printing,produce monochromatic printed material based on the received print jobdata without informing an error.

Conditions where the monochromatic printer receives the print job datarequesting color printing occur when a user erroneously set a printingcondition or install a printer driver not for the his/her printer. Amonochromatic printed material produced by the monochromatic printerbased on the printing job data requesting color printing is of a poorquality as compared with a monochromatic printed material produced bason the printer job data requesting monochromatic printing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of above, it is an object of the present invention to provide aprinter in which the contents (kind, number) of an executable printingprocess are different by changing its structure, an erroneous selectioncan be prevented irrespective of a fact that a printing operation havingintended contents cannot be performed, and a program corresponding to astructure at that time can be installed by a plug and play.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer whosetype of machine can be easily changed by an end user and whose structureis easily designed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a printercapable of processing the print job data in a suitable state for theuser.

In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterizedby having the following arrangement.

-   (1) A printer comprising:

a print performing unit which can change a structure thereof and inwhich contents of an executable printing process change depending on thestructure;

an apparatus name information storing unit which stores a plurality ofapparatus name information as identification information of theapparatus coordinated with the structure; and

a request responding unit for transmitting the apparatus nameinformation coordinated with the structure at that time when aprescribed request is received among the plurality of apparatus nameinformation to an apparatus transmitting the request.

-   (2) A printer according to (1), further comprising: a rewriteable    storing unit which stores a machine type designating value as    information for designating any of the apparatus name information    stored in the apparatus name information storing unit, wherein the    request responding unit transmits the information designated from    the plurality of apparatus name information by the machine type    designating value stored in the rewriteable storing unit to the    apparatus which transmits the request when the request responding    unit receives the prescribed request.-   (3) A printer according to (2), further comprising: a rewriting unit    for rewriting the machine type designating value stored in the    storing unit to a value corresponding to a changed structure when    the structure is changed.-   (4) A printer comprising:

a print performing unit which can change a structure thereof andoperates in either a state capable of a color printing or a statecapable of only a monochromatic printing in accordance with thestructure; and

an output request responding unit for transmitting a printer namecorresponding to the operating state of the print performing unit to anapparatus outputting an output request when the output requestresponding unit receives the output request of the printer name.

-   (5) A printer comprising;

a print performing unit which can change a structure thereof andoperates in either a state capable of a color printing or a statecapable of only a monochromatic printing in accordance with thestructure; and

an output request responding unit for transmitting a device IDcorresponding to the operating state of the print performing unit to anapparatus outputting an output request when the output requestresponding unit receives the output request of the device ID.

-   (6) A printer according to (5), further comprising an output request    responding unit for transmitting a device ID corresponding to the    operating state of the print performing unit to an apparatus    outputting an output request when the output request responding unit    receives the output request of the device ID.-   (7) A printer operating as any one of a plurality of kinds of    machines, the printer comprising:

a rewriteable nonvolatile storing unit for storing first informationused at any time when the printer operates as any of the plurality ofkinds of machines and second information whose contents are to berewritten depending on as which type of machines of the plurality oftypes of machines the printer operates; and

a control part for rewriting only the second information stored in thenonvolatile storing unit to information for a different machine unitwhen an operation is to be started for the different machine from themachine used up to that time.

-   (8) A printer according to (7), wherein the control part checks the    structure of a self-device upon starting to determined whether or    not the operation is to be started for the different machine from    the machine used up to that time.-   (9) A printer according to (7); wherein the first information is    information related to the number of prints formed in the past.-   (10) A printer comprising:

a printing unit for a monochromatic printing;

a receiving unit for receiving print job data;

a determining unit for determining whether the print job data receivedby the receiving unit is monochromatic print job data instructing amonochromatic printing or color printing job data instructing a colorprinting;

a printing control unit for processing the received print job data whenthe determining unit determines that the received print job data is themonochromatic print job data, and deleting the received print job datawhen the determining unit determines that the received print job data isthe color print job data.

-   (11) A printer according to (10) further comprising an information    transmitting unit for transmitting information representing that the    determining unit determines that the received pint job data is the    color print job data to a computer having a function of informing a    user of a message corresponding to the information.-   (12) A printer comprising:

a printing unit capable of operating in a first state capable of only amonochromatic printing and in a second state capable of a monochromaticprinting and a color printing;

a receiving unit for receiving a print job data;

a determining unit for determining whether the print job data receivedby the receiving unit is monochromatic print job data instructing amonochromatic printing or color printing job data instructing a colorprinting; and

a printing control unit for causing the printing unit to produce aprinted material corresponding to a determining result of thedetermining unit based on the print job data when the printing unitoperates in the second state, and causing the printing unit to produce amonochromatic printed material based on the printing job data which isdetermined as the monochromatic printing job data by the determiningunit and delete the printing job data which is determined as the colorprinting job data by the determining unit when the printing unitoperates in the first state.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of hardware of a printer of one embodimentaccording to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B show explanatory views of property dialogue boxesdisplayed by two printer drivers prepared for the printer according tothe embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart at the time of a start-up process executed by theprinter according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a machine type designating value changingprocess performed after the exchange of a toner cartridge is completedin the printer according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a process performed at the time of thestart-up process.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a process performed for received print jobdata in the printer according to the embodiment which operates as amachine type capable of only a monochromatic printing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail byreferring to the drawings.

Firstly, by referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the summary of a printer 10according to one embodiment of the present invention is described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 according to this embodiment includesa control part 11, a control panel 12 and a printing mechanism part 13.

The control panel 12 constituting the printer 10 is an interface unitbetween a user and the printer 10 (control part 11). This control panel12 constitutes the unit comprising a liquid crystal display and aplurality of pressing button switches or the like.

The printing mechanism part 13 is a unit comprising a printing enginefor printing (forming an image) on a sheet in accordance with a videosignal supplied from the control part 11, a sheet feeder for feedingsheets to the printing engine and a sheet ejector for ejecting printedsheets outside the printer 10, etc. The printing engine used in theprinting mechanism part 13 can be used by setting four kinds of tonercartridges (C, M, Y and K toner cartridges) or can be used by settingonly the K toner cartridge. The printing engine is a type that the tonercartridge is replaced by another toner cartridge while the power of theprinter 10 is turned on (a printing engine in which the toner cartridgeneeds to be moved to a position where the toner cartridge can bereplaced by another toner cartridge).

The control part 11 is a unit that performs a process for forming printshaving contents corresponding to print job data received from a hostcomputer in the printing mechanism part 13, a process for forming astatus sheet in the printing mechanism part 13 and a process forreturning various kinds of information managed by itself (mainlyinformation on a below-described EEPROM 26) to a device requesting theinformation. Here, the host computer indicates a computer in which aprinter driver (the detail thereof will be described below) for theprinter 10 is installed.

As shown in the drawing, the control part 11 provided in the printer 10is a unit in which a USB interface circuit (USB-I/F) 21 u, a parallelinterface circuit (parallel I/F) 21 p, a CPU 22, a RAM 23, a ROM 24, amemory control part 25, an EEPROM 26, an interface circuit 27, and avideo signal generating circuit 28, etc. are installed together. Thecontrol part 11 serves as a unit to which a network interface circuit oran HDD prepared as an option for the printer 10, the illustration ofwhich is omitted, can be added.

All of the USB interface circuit 21 u and the parallel interface circuit21 p and the network interface circuit which can optionally be added tothe control part 11; which are referred as an interface circuit 21,hereinafter, which are used in the control part 11 perform acommunication (receiving of print job data or the like) between the hostcomputer and them.

The CPU 22 is a control circuit for generally controlling respectiveparts in the control part 11. The ROM 24 is a nonvolatile memory inwhich various kinds of programs (specifically described below) loaded inthe RAM 23 and executed by the CPU 22 are stored in compressed states.

The interface circuit 27 is a circuit for carrying out a communication(transmit various kinds of instructions and receive information) betweenthe control panel 12 and the printing mechanism part 13 and theinterface circuit. The memory control part 25 is a circuit for carryingout a process for transferring information (print job data or the like)received by the interface circuit 21 to the CPU 22/RAM 23 and a processfor transferring a kind of image data (refer it to as printing data,hereinafter) generated on the RAM 23 by the CPU 22 from the print jobdata to the video signal generating circuit 28. The video signalgenerating circuit 28 is a circuit for forming a video signal foroperating the printing engine from the printing data (the printing datafed from the memory control part 25) formed by the CPU 22 and supplyingthe video signal to the printing engine.

The EEPROM 26 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory mounted on the printer10 (control part 11) to store a machine type designating value, amachine type ID, a printer name, a device ID, panel setting information,an MIB (Management Information Base), color calibration data, a USB ID,the total number of times of printings, jam counts, the number of timesof turning on a power, etc.

The machine type designating value stored in the EEPROM 26 indicatesinformation taking either a value (refer it to as a designating valuefor color printing, hereinafter) under which the printer 10 isinstructed to operate as a printer of a machine type capable of a colorprinting, or a value (refer it to as a designating value formonochromatic printing, hereinafter) under which the printer 10 isinstructed to operate as a printer capable of only a monochromaticprinting.

Further, the information (the machine type ID, the printer name, thedevice ID, the USB ID, the MIB, etc.) except the machine typedesignating value stored in the EEPROM 26 are respectively the sameinformation (information returned by the control part 11 to an apparatuswhich transmits a command for requesting the information and used by thecontrol part 11 upon printing the status sheet) as information havingthe same names or similar names stored in an existing printer which hasa USB interface and supports a Device ID. A printer name, a device ID,panel setting information, an MIB, color calibration data (and a machinetype ID) in the related printer are information incapable of beingrewritten even when a toner cartridge is replaced by another tonercartridge. Contrary to this, the printer name, the device ID, the panelsetting information, the MIB, and the color calibration data (referthese information to as information related to the machine type name,hereinafter) in the printer 10 according to the present invention areinformation capable of being rewritten when the toner cartridge isreplaced by another toner cartridge.

Then, in the printer 10 according to the present invention, a printer inwhich four kinds of toner cartridges are set in the printing mechanismpart 13 and the machine type designating value is set to a designatingvalue for color printing is sold as a color printer. Further, a printerin which only a K toner cartridge is set in the printing mechanism part13 and the machine type designating value is set to a designating valuefor monochromatic printing is sold as a monochromatic printer. Further,in the printer 10, a printer driver displaying a property dialogue boxas shown in FIG. 2A and a property dialogue box as shown in FIG. 2B(that is, items related to a color printing) and a monitor program forinforming a user of the operating state (presence or absence of thegeneration of error/warning, etc.) of the printer 10 are prepared(formed). Further, the printer is sold in a form with a CD-ROM attachedin which these programs are recorded. The monitor program for theprinter 10 periodically transmits a status information request commandfor transmitting status information showing the operating state (thepresence or absence of the generation of error/warning, etc.) to theprinter 10 to grasp (monitor) the operating state of the printer 10.When the error/warning is generated in the printer 10, a window forinforming the user of the generated error/warning is displayed.

In the printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the printingmechanism part 13 and a part of the control part 11 for controlling theprinting mechanism part 13 correspond to the print performing unit ofthe present invention. The ROM 24 and the EEPROM 26 correspond to theapparatus name information storing unit. A part of the control part 11for transmitting the device ID/computer name on the EEPROM 26corresponds to the request responding unit.

Now, the structure and the operation of the printer 10 according to thisembodiment will be more specifically described below by taking theabove-described preconditions into consideration.

In the ROM 24 mounted on the printer 10 (control part 11) of the presentinvention, a common program, a program for a machine type exclusivelyused for a monochromatic printing, a program for a machine type capableof a color printing and a program for a plurality of functions arestored.

Of these programs, the program for the functions allows the control part11 to perform a process for a specific function. The program for amachine type exclusively used for a monochromatic printing and theprogram for a machine type capable of a color printing respectivelyallow the control part 11 to perform a control process for amonochromatic printer and a control process for a color printer.

The common program is a program with which the RAM 23 is initiallyloaded upon turning on a power (or upon rebooting). The common programallows the control part 11 (CPU 22) to perform a start-up process whoseprocedure is shown in FIG. 3, immediately after the common program isloaded. When the toner cartridge is replaced by another toner cartridge,the common program allows the control part 11 to perform an updatingprocess for updating a machine type designating value, the procedure ofwhich is shown in FIG. 4.

Initially, the updating process (FIG. 4) will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, at the time of the updating process, the controlpart 11 firstly decides whether or not the K toner cartridge is mountedon the printing mechanism part 13 (step S201) When the K toner cartridgeis not mounted on the printing mechanism part 13 (step S201; NO), thecontrol part 11 finishes the updating process.

When the K toner cartridge is mounted on the printing mechanism part 13(step S201; YES), the control part 11 decides whether or not a tonercartridge except the K toner cartridge is mounted on the printingmechanism part 13 (step S202) Then, when the toner cartridge except theK toner cartridge is not mounted on the printing mechanism part 13 (stepS202; NO), the control part 11 decides whether or not the machine typedesignating value on the EEPROM 26 is a designating value for colorprinting (step S203). When the machine type designating value on theEEPROM 26 is the designating value of the machine type capable of acolor printing (step S203; YES), the control part changes (step S204)the machine type designating value on the EEPROM 26 to a designatingvalue for monochromatic printing. Then, the control part finishes themachine type designating value updating process. Further, when themachine type designating value on the EEPROM 26 is the designating valueof the machine type exclusively used for a monochromatic printing (stepS203; NO), the control part 11 finishes the machine type designatingvalue updating process without rewriting the machine type designatingvalue on the EEPROM 26.

On the other hand, when the toner cartridge except the K toner cartridgeis mounted on the printing mechanism part 13 (step S202; YES), thecontrol part 11 decides (step 205) whether or not the machine typedesignating value on the EEPROM 26 is the designating value of themachine type exclusively used for a monochromatic printing. When themachine type designating value on the EEPROM 26 is the designating valueof the machine type exclusively used for a monochromatic printing (stepS205; YES), the control part 11 changes (step S206) the machine typedesignating value on the EEPROM 26 to the designating value of themachine type capable of a color printing, and then, finishes the machinetype designating value updating process. Further, when the machine typedesignating value on the EEPROM 26 is the designating value of themachine type capable of a color printing (step S205; NO), the controlpart 11 finishes the machine type designating value updating processwithout rewriting the machine type designating value on the EEPROM 26.

Now, the contents of the start-up process (FIG. 3) will be describedbelow.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control part 11 starting the start-up processfirstly reads a machine type designating value and a machine type ID(step S101) from the EEPROM 26. Then, the control part 11 decideswhether or not the read machine type ID corresponds to the read machinetype designating value (step S102).

When the machine type ID does not correspond to the machine typedesignating value (step S102; NO), the control part 11 performs aprocess (step S103) for rewriting only information related to a machinetype (the machine type ID, the device ID, the printer name, the MIB, thepanel setting information and the color calibration data) on the EEPROM26 to information corresponding to the machine type designating value.Then, the control part 11 performs a process (step S104) for loading theRAM 23 with a program for a machine type designated by the machine typedesignating value (a program for a machine type exclusively used for amonochromatic printing or a program for a machine type capable of acolor printing) and a program for some functions. That is, in this stepS104, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, a process for allowing the stateof the RAM 23 to correspond to the machine type designating value iscarried out.

On the other hand, when the machine type ID read from the EEPROM 26corresponds to the machine type designating value read out from theEEPROM 26 (step S102; YES), the control part 11 performs the process ofthe step S104 without performing the process of the step S103. That is,in this case, the control part 11 loads the program for the machine typedesignated by the machine type designating value (the program for themachine type exclusively used for a monochromatic printing or theprogram for the machine type capable of a color printing) and theprogram for some functions on the RAM 23 without rewriting theinformation related to the machine type on the EEPROM 26.

The control part 11 that finishes the process of the step S104 operatesin accordance with the program loaded on the RAM 23.

The contents of the operation of the control part 11 under this stateare the same as those of a control part in an existing monochromaticprinter or an existing color printer. However, when the machine typedesignating value indicates the designating value of the machine typeexclusively used for a monochromatic printing, the control part 11functions as a unit for performing a slightly different operation fromthat of the control part in the existing monochromatic printer.

Specifically, when the machine type designating value indicates themachine type designating value exclusively used for a monochromaticprinting, a group of programs with which the RAM 23 is loaded allows thecontrol part 11 to process received print job data in accordance with aprocedure shown in FIG. 6.

That is, the control part 11 initially decides (step S301) whether theprint job data is data for requesting a color printing or amonochromatic printing on the basis of information (what is called a jobcontrol command) included in the top of the print job data which beginsto be received.

Then, when the print job data is data for requesting a monochromaticprinting (step S301; NO), the control part 11 performs a process forallowing the printing mechanism part 13 to form a print having thecontents corresponding to the print job data in step S302 and completesthe processes shown in FIG. 6.

On the other hand, when the print job data is data for requesting acolor printing (step S301; YES), the control part 11 performs a processfor coping with a warning in step 5303. Here, the process for copingwith the warning means a process that a prescribed warning messagerepresenting that the print job data for requesting a color printing isreceived despite a state is capable of only a monochromatic printing isdisplayed on a liquid crystal display of the control panel 12 and aself-state is brought into a state that status information is returnedincluding information representing that the print job data is, rejectedupon receiving a status information request command (a commandtransmitted by the monitor program).

The control part 11 that carries out the above-described process forcoping with the warning performs a process (step S304) for deleting thereceived print job data, and then, finishes the processes shown in FIG.6.

Briefly stated, when the machine designating value indicates the machinetype designating value exclusively used for a monochromatic printing,the printer 10 of the present invention is designed in such a way thatthe print job data for requesting a color printing is processed so asnot to interrupt the transmitting process of the print job data in ahost computer side and not to perform a printing operation based on theprint job data.

As described above, the printer 10 according to this embodiment is anapparatus that operates as either the printer of a machine type capableof a color printing or the printer of a machine type capable of only amonochromatic printer depending on its structure (depending on the kindof the toner cartridge mounted on the printing mechanism part 13).Further, the printer 10 serves as an apparatus whose outputted printername is changed depending on as which machine type of printers theprinter 10 operates (an apparatus for outputting the printer namecorresponding to the machine type at that time) Accordingly, when theprinter 10 of the present embodiment is used in a network environment, auser can grasp as which machine type of the printers the printer 10 ofthe present invention operates from the printer named is played on thedisplay of the computer. As a result, the printer 10 of the presentinvention functions as a printer hardly erroneously selectedirrespective of a fact that a printing operation of intended contentscannot be carried out.

Further, the printer 10 according to the present invention also servesas an apparatus whose outputted device ID is changed (an apparatus foroutputting the device ID corresponding to the machine type at that time)depending on as which machine type of the printers the printer 10operates. Accordingly, the printer 10 of the present invention serves asan apparatus capable of installing the printer driver (see FIGS. 2A and2B) corresponding to the machine type at that time by a plug and play.

Further, when the printer 10 operates as the printer of the machine typecapable of only a monochromatic printing, the printer 10 also serves asan apparatus for rejecting the print job data for requesting a colorprinting. Consequently, in the printer 10, when the printer 10 operatesas the printer of the machine type capable of only a monochromaticprinting, color print job data is erroneously supplied. In this case, ahost computer and the printer 10 are not restricted due to a process forforming the print of unexpected contents. Further, the printer 10 alsoserves as an apparatus in which a window showing that the print job datais rejected is displayed on the display of the host computer. Thus, theuser of the printer 10 can immediately recognize that an erroneousoperation is carried out and can stop the transmitting process of theprint job data if necessary.

MODIFIED EMBODIMENTS

The printer 10 of this embodiment may have various kinds ofmodifications. For examples the printer 10 is an apparatus in which thecombined programs on the RAM 23 are different between a case in whichthe printer 10 operates as the printer of a machine type capable ofperforming a color printing and a case in which the printer 10 operatesas the printer of a machine type capable of performing only amonochromatic printing. However, the printer 10 may be modified so thatRAM 23 is loaded with the same program even when the printer operates asany type of the printers. In this case, when the printer 10 is modifiedas described above, a part of the program on the RAM 23 is not actuallyexecuted, thereby the storage capacity of the RAM 23 is wastefully used.Thus, the printer is desirably formed in the same manner as that of theabove-described embodiment.

Further, information related to the machine type on the EEPROM 26 is notrewritten and two sets or more of information related to the machinetype are stored on the EEPRQM 26 and the printer 10 may be modified sothat the information related to the machine type corresponding to themachine type designating value is selected from among these informationand used. Further, the structure of a self-device (the kind of the tonercartridge mounted on the printing mechanism part 13) is checked uponstart-up process and the printer 10 may be modified so that theinformation related to the machine type on the EEPROM is rewritten.Further, the printer 10 may be modified so that the information relatedto the machine type on the EEPROM is rewritten when the toner cartridgeis replaced by another toner cartridge.

Further, it is to be understood that a printer (a printer or a complexmachine) functioning, for instance, as a printer of a machine typecapable of performing a staple process and as a printer of a machinetype incapable of performing a staple process may be realized on thebasis of a technique used in the printer 10. Further, it is to beunderstood that some functions may be removed from the printer 10.

1. A printer comprising: a print performing unit which can change astructure thereof and in which contents of an executable printingprocess change depending on the structure; an apparatus name informationstoring unit which stores a plurality of apparatus name information asidentification information of the apparatus coordinated with thestructure; a request responding unit for transmitting the apparatus nameinformation coordinated with the structure at that time when aprescribed request is received among the plurality of apparatus nameinformation to an apparatus transmitting the request; and a rewriteablestoring unit which stores a machine type designating value asinformation for designating any of the apparatus name information storedin the apparatus name information storing unit, wherein the requestresponding unit transmits the information designated from the pluralityof apparatus name information by the machine type designating valuestored in the rewriteable storing unit to the apparatus which transmitsthe request when the request responding unit receives the prescribedrequest.
 2. A printer according to claim 1, further comprising: arewriting unit for rewriting the machine type designating value storedin the storing unit to a value corresponding to a changed structure whenthe structure is changed.